By Jeff Bugher
Texas Tech's starting quarterback Tyler Shough came into Laramie with an 8-1 record...well...make that 8-2 now. A rain and lightning storm delayed the start of the game by about an hour, but little did we know that the pregame rainbow in the sky would foreshadow what would happen at the end of the game. Wyoming beat Texas Tech 35 to 33 in a thrilling double overtime session. This win now makes head coach Craig Bohl’s home opening record 8-2, including winning the last 5 consecutive home openers. If you’re a “power anything” school looking for a home opener in Laramie, you might want to stay away as long as Bohl is in charge.
Below is a Basic Summary of the Game:
First Quarter:
Texas Tech struck quickly, like a Texas Rattlesnake
10:34: Texas Tech Touchdown
9:25: Texas Tech Touchdown
4:02: Texas Tech kicks a 54-yard field goal following a big sack by DeVonne Harris.
End of the First Quarter: Wyoming 0, Texas Tech 17
2nd Quarter:
John Hoyland Kicks a 56-Yard Field Goal
Wyoming fought back with a career-long 56-yard field goal from kicker John Hoyland at 14:55 in the 2nd quarter. Hoyland's field goal also ties for 3rd place overall in Mountain West Conference history.
Turning Point: 13:55 in the 2nd Quarter
Nickel Wrook Brown made a very important interception that changed the momentum of the game. Bohl didn’t hesitate when asked about the turning point in the game. “When Wrook Brown made the interception. I think that started to say: Okay, we can make plays too.”
At 11:20, quarterback Andrew Peasley threw a touchdown pass to FB Caleb Driskell, making the score 17 to 10 with Texas Tech leading the game.
End of the 2nd Quarter: Wyoming 10, Texas Tech 17
3rd Quarter:
17 Unanswered Points:
5:37, Sam Scott rushes in for a Wyoming touchdown. Scott's touchdown caps off 17 unanswered points for Wyoming.
End of the 3rd Quarter: Wyoming 17, Texas Tech 17
4th Quarter:
8:58: John Hoyland 38 yard field goal
0:41: Texas Tech answers back with a 27 yard field goal
End of the 4th Quarter: Wyoming 20, Texas Tech 20
Overtime 1:
Andrew Peasley runs in for a touchdown
Texas Tech answers back with a touchdown
End of OT 1: Wyoming 27, Texas Tech 27
Overtime 2:
Texas Tech throws a touchdown pass, but the 2-point conversion fails
Andrew Peasley throws an 11-yard touchdown pass to "The Law Firm" John Michael Gyllenborg. Former linebacker turned running back Sam Scott runs the ball in for the 2 point conversion.
End of OT 2: Wyoming 35, Texas Tech 33
Post-Game Press Conference:
One Play at a Time
Bohl has continued to praise this team as a mature football team with great leadership and that praise continued after the game on Saturday night: “You don’t come up with those kinds of wins without great chemistry.” Bohl said. Being down so far at the beginning of a big game against a tough opponent isn’t easy. “I did not anticipate to beat a quality team when down that far, we were about one or two series away from having a really hard time and having to change our DNA.” Bohl said. Bohl yet again touched on maturity and leadership by saying there wasn’t any finger-pointing or players getting angry. Jordan Bertagnole echoed Bohl's words, “We never pointed a finger, we never were blaming somebody else, we took that ownership and we realized “what do we gotta do”.” Instead, he said there was a lot of positivity on the sideline. Running back Sam Scott also spoke about being down too: “We just took it one play at a time.” Frank Crum said, “We believed, we didn’t bat an eye…we can do this, they’re going to think they got this in the bag right away.” “We weren’t clicking on all cylinders…we made a couple of adjustments at halftime, and we went.” The team mantra is 1-0, resetting each week, and that continued into this game with even further meaning with "one play at a time."
Bohl Continued: “I knew that there are 2 things that are going to allow us to win every game: our toughness, and our togetherness.” Shae Suiaunoa said “In that locker room we know who we are, so we had to just go out there and prove it. There’s a lot of love and a lot of trust in there, so tonight we did it."
The X Factor: Andrew Peasley
One of the biggest concerns on fans’ minds was how starting quarterback Andrew Peasley was going to do on national TV against such a big opponent. Bohl said that Saturday night’s X Factor was Andrew Peasley: “I don’t know how many times you saw him do a lot of different things” Bohl continued, “Andrew Peasley is as tough as boot leather as much as he got hit. The praise didn’t stop there, Shae Suiaunoa had this to say: “He showed a lot of heart, that’s why he’s our quarterback. He did his job, did what he needed to do…and we’re super proud of him” Running back Sam Scott “He’s a tough guy”. “Seeing your quarterback take a lot, and fight through it makes you want to fight even more because he’s a captain”. Frank Crum also joined in on the quarterback praise “I am extremely proud of our quarterback”.
Keeping up with Texas Tech's Fast Tempo
Bohl spoke about the team's preparation against Texas Tech’s famous fast-tempo offense: “We did some walkthroughs and then we did some practice, we spent a great deal of time. I was concerned about it. I about got sick because I was watching tape on them against West Virginia, and they ran like 73 plays in the first half. They had more plays than about anybody in America, and I’m like…Woah. But our guys hung in there. They did a good job substituting also…keep fresh guys in there and buy a little time.”
There were questions on the offensive line situation with 2 new starters this year. Frank Crum sent a lot of praise to this “unproven” offensive line: “I think they really stepped up and could see some glimpses of light…we just beat Texas Tech.
Tackle King of the Game: Shae Suiaunoa
Shae Suiaunoa has no problem admitting that he had the most missed tackles on the team last year. Yet that stat sure didn’t show versus Texas Tech. He led the team with 8 solo tackles and 4 assists for a total of 12 tackles. “During fall camp, our coaches really nailed that we need to be the better-tackling team, and to me, I took that really seriously because I had the most missed tackles on the team last year. We did a lot of drills, this is just one game but I need to do it on the next one as well."
On fans rushing the field after the game: Shae said “It was full circle because my freshman year against Missouri, when we beat them they all came (teammates onto the field) and I just stood back and looked at everybody rushing. It was a surreal moment for sure (tonight).”
The Wild Boys: Wyoming Natives - What Does it Mean to Win?
Jordan Bertagnole said that some of his best childhood memories were attending Wyoming games as a kid. Now he gets to be a part of making those memories on the field. “We always say, represent the Wild Boys. We don’t have a ton of Wyoming guys on this team, but the guys that we do have make a huge difference on this roster, whether they’re on the scout team or on the roster. It’s just a huge bond that we have, and we take so much pride in the whole state."
Frank Crum spoke passionately about his pride for his home state: "We’re the Wild Boys, it means something to us, it’s different." "We take an immense deal of pride in this win tonight, this team, and this state." "This crowd…it was unbelievable, it was electric. It’s probably the most fun I’ve had at a home game for sure." "I love the people of Laramie and I love the people of Wyoming, so to be out here representing that means a great deal to me”.
By the Numbers
New Career Highs of Note- Rushing (only new career highs listed below)
Andrew Peasley: Attempts: 15
Sam Scott: Attempts: 15, Yards: 44, Long: 16
D James: 1 TD
Ferrell: Attempts: 7, Yards: 21, Long: 6
New Career Highs- Rushing (only new career highs are listed below)
John Michael Gyllenborg: Catches: 5, Yards: 68, Touchdowns: 1, Long: 11
Sam Scott: Catches: 3, Yards: 7, Long: 9
Caleb Driskill: Yards: 4, Touchdowns: 1, Long: 4
New Career Highs- Kicking (only new career highs are listed below)
John Hoyland: Career-long field goal: 56 yards, and is tied for the 3rd longest field goal in Mountain West history!!!
New Career Highs- Tackles (only new career highs are listed below)
Shae Suiaunoa (LB): Solo: 8, Total: 12
Tyrecus Davis (CB): Solo: 5, Assist: 2, Total: 7
Full Stats Provided by StatBroadcast.com
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